After Light
by Billy Tom Plummer Ledger
Summary: A prequeal to the Dragon House with the same characters. Know to bring flashlights. Try this at home.


After Light

"_Hush! We're going to get caught."_

"_We are _not _going to get caught."_

The flashlight glows to life brightly and quickly. Alexandra deliberately flashed the light at her friend. Her friend's brown hair was light at the moment and her pale skin was highlighted in the dark night sky. She was wearing her usual over sized t-shirt of an old school band she loves. Tonight it was Cream. They walked over to the tall, black fence and used the key they pick pocketed off the pool boy. The cute, big brown eyed pool boy.

"This is so wrong," Alexandra said to point out the obvious.

"So wrong, its right?" Bella asked with a smirk on her face. Her dyed blonde hair was cropped and bangs were slightly tilted to the side. It was more than fair to say that she looked like a guy. "Come on, and _don't get caught_!"

"I thought you said we wouldn't get caught?" Alexandra hissed at her as Bella just laughed and walked speedily into the pool. They both went into the locker rooms and opened the unlocked one that was numbered 256 or otherwise known as lucky thirteen. In there was a small blue Nike bag and a Nightmare Before Christmas lunch box. The girls took out the Nike bag and both changed into their swim suits.

Bella changed into a dark green one piece and slipped on her light weight long sleeved striped green shirt. Alexandra got undressed out of her shorts and tank top and changed into a dark purple two piece before heading into the pool.

They didn't just jump right in or count one, two, three, son of a gun before diving in with their hands fisted together. No, they sat by the edge of the pool in the glowing lights of the bright blue waters. Bella cradled her knees to her chest as she stared into the water and looked at her friend.

"How long is this going to last?"

"What?" Alexandra asked out of bewilderment. She was used to the calm before the storm ritual by now. "What do you mean?" Alexandra asks as her friend grows quiet.

"This… blissfulness."

"Until we get wet," Alexandra says as pensive as ever. She and Bella gave each other a look in their familiar amber brown eyes and clasped their pale hands together as they stood up together. Bella tore off her shirt and squeezed Alexandra's hand one last time.

"Ready?" Alexandra asked with a certain tranquil voice.

"As ever," Bella said with one last sigh. They closed their eyes as slowly as they could to prolong the moment and then jumped high into the air and landed with a splash in the pool. It was the loudest awakening to their night. As their heads went under water their minds went floating with the rush. Memories came up that hurt too much to ever conjure again. Words were remembered that they wanted to be forgotten. Actions were regretted as soon as they were acted.

Bella's hand held tighter onto Alexandra's as they went under water. Her body went still and she floated on her back under water for five full seconds as she stared at her friend. Then they came up and breathed into the night of reality.

As their eyes adjusted to darkness after the very brilliance of the waters lights – everything came rushing back in one rapidly throbbing headache. Bella's mothers face came into her head and the voice of her father tautened her. Alexandra's "uncle" was on top of her mother and unzipping those mud stained jeans and then… gone. All she could see was the night sky. The glittering little stars that brightened the blackness and the vivid round moon that never depressed a soul.

The girls floated on their backs as they tried to count the stars.

"If you could be anywhere in the world right now, where would you be?" Alexandra asked her friend.

"Many places all at once. I'd be in Australia, partying in New York and getting laid to some delicious famous guy." Alexandra floated to her stomach and splashed the water into her friends face as she swam away. They did that for a while – laughing and swimming, mostly swimming away of each other as they tried to hold onto either ankle for any period of time.

When neither of them could breath evenly and their hearts were threatening to crash through their chest – they crawled out of the pool. They laid their small pale bodies onto their towels as they arranged themselves on their stomachs. Neither of them could stop laughing or control their heartbeats at first but soon it all calmed down. Alexandra rolled onto her side and her dark hair stuck to her face how a mermaid's would. Bella's head tilted to the left to look at her friend and she reached out her hand for Alexandra to take it. She did.

Bella fell asleep first and Alexandra followed momentarily after. Their heads were angled towards each other and their bodies were curled inward. Together, their figures shaped together a heart. A heart filled with wisdom, joy, love, and friendship. And some more abnormal details…

When Alexandra woke up it was only a few minutes before midnight.

"Bella!" She hissed at her friend as she shook her relentlessly to wake up. "Wake up Bells!" She yelled at her friend as she shoved her into the pool on her side. Alexandra crawled to the edge of the pool and looked sadly into the water. "Bells?" She asked in a small voice.

Hands grasped onto her wrists and pulled her into the pool under the water.

"Ahh!" Alexandra screamed but Bella covered her mouth with her hand.

"Jesus fucking christ, do you _want _us to get caught?" Bella asked as she laughed and let go of her friend.

"You jerk!" Alexandra yelped as she splashed water at Bella.


End file.
